Byzantium – Ancient Constantinople, Modern Istanbul – On Film and Through the eye of my Contax G2

This is a record of a couple of trips I took back in 2007/2008. I brought along my Contax G2, 45mm Planar, 90mm Sonnar and 21mm Biogon plus a load of different films to use. Everything from Kodak E100vs, Fujichrome Provia 400X to little known Konica VX100.

Byzantium, it’s what I’ll always see this City and region as. It’s a name which invokes something in me, there seems to be a sense of wonder about the name and the time, along with tragedy and sadness as the City was sacked and looted throughout the ages, by Venetians, Crusaders and Ottoman Turks.

It’ll always be Byzantium, or at a push Constantinople as it was later renamed, in honour of Constantine The Great.

Back in 2007 I went on a 4 day visit – something I’d wanted to do for a long time. I visited again the following year. I was very eager to see it and experience it, as it is, as far as I am concerned probably the Greatest City in the World. I doubt even Rome has the history and the Greatness Byzantium had. But now it’s merely Istanbul – still beautiful and full of majesty but somewhat lessened as the years go by and the New Yorks and Londons of this world lay claim to be Great.

Anybody with a camera should visit and sample the sights and sounds of this place.

Modern Istanbul extends on either side of The Bosphorus into Asia Minor. I never visited the Asian side, but just stayed in Sultan Ahmet which is ancient Byzantium. I visited twice; in 2007 when it was warm and sunny and then in 2008 when it was freezing cold with 2 feet of snow. Same season, different weather, and I then used different films.

What a glorious sight; seeing the fabled Golden Horn on one side, The Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara, once known as the Propontis on the other, as you stand and breathe in the sea breeze, mingled with the smells of life.

it’s one place where everywhere you look you’ll see a glorious building and ancient landmarks, it being a city with layers of history; from Thracian to Byzantine, to Ottoman, with an eclectic mix of cultures and religions.

It’s a delight to go into the Hagia Sofia, to look and see Arabic inscriptions and prayers with the names of God, The Prophet and his Family and Companions; then to look above and see Icons of Christ and The Apostles lit up by sun beams and shafts Holy of light.

We stayed within 100 yards of the Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque, which faces the Hagia Sofia; Cathedral of Holy Wisdom. What an amazing feeling it is to look left and right and see them both. Our trip consisted of visiting the Basilica Cisterns where you’ll see remnants of Ancient Rome, to the Mosques and bazaars and then to the Topkapi Palace and Seraglio of The Sultans.

We also took an excursion across to the Princes Islands; a ferry ride in the Sea of Marmara.

Our trip was finished off with a proper Turkish Bath at the C16th Ceberlitas Hamam.

To be honest, I was expecting Istanbul to be something like Egypt but what I discovered was a very modern, clean, wonderfully functioning city with polite helpful and friendly people, very unlike London. Everything was cheap and of good value – travel especially was easy and stress free; the Trams and Ferries use these coins you purchase, sort of tokens costing about $1 each. This was nearly 20 years ago so things may have changed drastically.

Camera and Films

I took along a Contax G2 with the 21mm Carl Zeiss Biogon and the 45mm Planar. I also took along lots of Film; Fujichrome Velvia 100F, Provia 400X, Kodak Ektachrome E100vs, Fuji Neopan 1600 and Kodak TMZ 3200 Ilford Delta 3200 and Fuji Superia 200 and Reala 100, Agfacolor 100-c and Konica Minolta VX 100. I ruined a couple of rolls by not realizing my exposure compensation dial had shifted fully + and if it were Negative Film it’d be ok, but with Slide Film pretty ruined.

The other issue was that it had snowed; a lot! The Ektachrome couldn’t handle the contrast between bright sun and bright snow leaving everything else black! hehe! But that’s when the fast B&W film came into it’s own. For interiors I shot with the colour negative and B&W.

Mindless Street Photography

I decided to capture the sights and sounds by trying some Street Photography.

Now I was pretty inexperienced and thought Street Photography meant roaming around firing off random shots of strangers on the street – and that’s what I did. I’ve scores of frames of people and looking at them now I’ve got to laugh as they’re all pretty pointless. All I did was waste Film (and money) and almost 20 years later they’re only mildly interesting. I’ve since realized that Street Photography is a lot lot more different and difficult than that, and to capture something special is very very rare.

Alex Webb on Street Photography,

“Photographing on the street is largely about being open to the unexpected. So often the most intriguing images come when one least expects them.

And – I suppose in relation to that – how important is failure, and the ability to absorb failure into your practice? And how big a part of photography is failure? 

I often say that street photography is 99.9% about failure. When trying to capture elusive moments in the street, I accept that failure is part of the process..”

I’d say my early attempts were 100% Big Fail! hehe! But live and learn.

John Garret in his must read book (The Art of Black and White Photography) for all those wanting to learn B&W’ says,

“The photographer is never completely detached, for he or she cannot avoid offering an interpretation of the subject by making a choice of camera angle, lens, exposure or darkroom treatment. Our memories of world events are usually conditioned by the great black and white news re- portage pictures. But the best reportage photography, such as that of Henri Cartier-Bresson, is just as often an acute vision of ordinary, everyday situations. What unites the greatest pictures in both spheres is that they were taken with respect for the subject and with a proper humility in the face of the feelings of others. The essence of successful reportage is to concentrate information and meaning in a single image. Black and white photography assists this concentration.”

He’s right, and by experience and time I can boldly state that B&W street photography or reportage is much more powerful than colour. My colour stuff here is very poor, whereas my B&W I like it a lot more.

I did take the usual touristy postcardy shots but I won’t include those in this selection.

I managed to find a few strips of B&W I had shot along with my slide boxes – many of which had been ruined by damp as I’d left my boxes in the cellar of my mother’s new house when she moved. Little did I know that it was riddled with damp and would lead to me losing dozens of my boxes of slide film which I’d shot over the years.

A shame I can’t find most of the B&W as that turned out far better than the colour photographs. I used fast Kodak TMZ3200, Ilford Delta 3200, Kodak TRI-X 400 and Fuji Neopan 1600 mostly when overcast and inside..

A Scanner with No ICE/IR clean

I yesterday took receipt of a Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV 35mm scanner. The speed, resolution, sharpness and detail is so far beyond the poor Epson 4990 Flatbed I’d had for the last 20 years that I’m amazed I’d used that old thing to scan 35mm with over the years. It was the scanner which has lead me to delve into the Film archives for long forgotten treasures.

The scanner has one Major fault which makes it pretty useless for old Colour Slides and negatives – it has NO Digital ICE and NO IR Clean – which means you’ll get he dirty scans I have here and no amount of spotting will save them! The Slides are great for projection but for scanning cleanly – forget it. I’ll have to ditch this scanner for one with ICE. So apologies for the crap in every photo!

The films were all decent, out of the colour Slide, the Provia 400X excelled, the Velvia and Kodak E100vs were too contrasty and it seems the film stock I had wasn’t great. The Fast B&W were all excellent – the Fuji Neopan 1600 finer and gentler, the Kodak and Delta 3200 were grittier and had more contrast. I was especially impressed with the soft muted gentle tones of the Konica VX100 and the Agfacolor 100 was a close second – both trumped the Reala.

If I were to go again, and hopefully I will, I’ll be sure to select an appropriate film. In hindsight, Fujichrome Provia 100 would be an ideal slide film, I wish Konica VX100 were still around as that tone is lovely. All the B&W films perform great – but I think I’d take a roll of Kodak Eastman Double X and perhaps Agfa APX 400 for lower light. For interiors I just used a wide angle, knowing I’ll be free from any blur at anything above 1/20 as it was a 21mm and I’d do the same again.

Overall, Ancient and Glorious Byzantium is a place anyone and everyone should visit and capture on Film, but whatever you do, don’t store your film in your Mum’s damp cellar and use a scanner with Digital ICE or Infra Red clean!

All Photos:
Contax G2 RF & Carl Zeiss 21mm Biogon T* f2.8, Carl Zeiss 45mm Planar T* f2, Carl Zeiss 90mm Sonnar T* f2.8
Shot on: Kodak Ektachrome E100vs, Fujichrome Velvia 100F, Fujichrome Provia 400X, Fujifilm Reala 100, AgfaColor 100-C, Konica Minolta VX100, Fujifilm Neopan 1600, Kodak TMZ 3200, Ilford Delta 3200, Kodak TRI-X 400
Scanned on a Konica Minolta Dimage Scan Dual IV
Edited on Lightroom Mac 5.

Share this post: